Later this fall, students of the University of North Dakota will have an important, new service available to help them to manage several aspects of their lives on campus.

"One-Stop Student Services" (One-Stop) will be the most convenient way for students to get answers about their academic and financial status. Among other things, students will be able to register for classes, review grades, accept financial aid awards, pay bills, and more ― all at one convenient location.

"It's an acknowledgement that students' time is valuable," said Josh Lindenberg, director of One-Stop Student Services.

One-Stop is scheduled to open in October, about a year after the plan was set in motion.

Its office will be centrally located on the main level of Memorial Union in the space formerly occupied by the University Federal Credit Union.

There will be a grand opening/ribbon cutting ceremony, this fall, to celebrate the opening of this new student services center. Activities are being planned to help celebrate this event.

Supportive network

One-Stop will be staffed by professionals who are cross-trained to help students resolve issues related to academic records, registration, financial aid, parking and student accounts. The hours of operation for One-Stop will be 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Inquiries made during the evenings and weekends by telephone or online will be addressed promptly during the next business day.

"Many campuses nationwide have created One-Stop offices to help students resolve various academic, financial and administrative issues with a customer-service philosophy," said Lindenberg. "Our mission is to provide excellent services and guidance for students."

One-Stop will offer students the ability to check their academic and financial status, make certain changes, and make payments on different University accounts.

"The possibilities within the scope of One-Stop Student Services will provide a supportive network for our students as they move forward to reach their educational goals," said Thomas DiLorenzo, provost and vice president of academic affairs. "One-Stop is sure to offer great service for our students."

Students may still need to occasionally go to Twamley Hall, UND's administrative headquarters, for a few things, such as paying with cash, immediate processing needs, or if they are in need of the registrar's signature.

"But, the One-Stop staff will help ensure students know exactly where they can go to quickly resolve their issues and avoid confusion," added Lindenberg. "If there is a problem, we can take that on and work with the complexities."

One-Stop will also be performing "follow-up checks" to make sure that students were able to find what they needed and were able to complete everything.

Status checks

The Institution plans to measure the success of One-Stop by increased retention rates, student satisfaction surveys and an increased number of graduates.

Officials say the service will help make students' educational experiences a little bit smoother. It will help staff and faculty, too.

"It will take some of the student pressure off of the other offices," said Lindenberg. "It will be one place for (staff and faculty) to send students to get their questions answered. Even if we don't know or don't represent a particular office we will help find the answers and point the student in the right direction."

Each interaction with the students will be documented and used as data for the University to see what they can improve on and to help decision makers develop more student-friendly policies.

"We are taking student services to the next level," said Lisa Burger, assistant vice president of student academic services.

Once operational, One-Stop Student Services will be set up on the first floor of Memorial Union, and can be contacted at 701.777.1234.

"One-Stop Student Services brings together, in one location, many of the resources that are designed to help students successfully navigate their educational life," said Lori Reesor, vice president of student affairs. "It is exciting to see this comprehensive service become a reality."